Timing control for circuit breakers



Sept. 29, 1931. w WELCOME 1,825,138

TIMING CONTROL FOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS Original Filed Sept. 1. 1927 IN VEN TOR. /1. IX W's/come A TTORNE Y.

Patented Sept. 2 9, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE V ARTHUR w. mm or Los antennas, canromua i, invention mlmstf improvements in controls 7 for power operated machines, more particularlyfor electric power operated machines.

The principal objectfiof my invention is torovlde a coin operatedtime control-for ma g and breaking an electric circuit.

Another object of my invention is'to provide a coin operated time control for making and breaking an electric circuit includm a motor.

ferring to the drawings, in which the same numbers indicate like parts Fig. 1 is a view in-perspective showing a housed time operated control and a motor controlled thereby.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section and part view of the timing mechanism-also taken along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 is a front view along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view looking down on Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are views of the detail looking from the front along the lines 5-5 ofFFig.72.

i is a wiri diagram.

Th e time contrb l mechanism is housed in a sealed box 10 which has a coin slot 11 and a switch 12. An electric circuit, including a lead wire 13 and a return wire 14 conveys current from a suitable source of supply (generator, battery or the like) through x 10to the timing mechanism and thence from the timing mechanism preferably through armored cable 15 to a motor 16.

The main structure interiorly of box 10 comprises a front portion 17, fastened to the front of box 10 or integral therewith, and a rear portion 18 held rigidly to portion 17 by bolts 19 the whole forming a framework on which the timin mechanism is mounted. A back piece 20 is fastened to portion 17,

rearwardly thereof, to provide space for the coin slot "11 and a coin wheel 21. Wheel 21 is composed f a front portion 22 and a rear portion 23, held together by screws 25 and having an annular groove 24 therebetween. Parallel slots 26 are cut in portions 22 and 23 for containin a stop pin 27 to limitithe movement of w eel 21 in both directions;

. 'rnrnre common ran'mc m muse mummies .1921, semi No. 210.910. nemvea August is, 1930.

Portions 22 and 23 include spindles 28 and 29 respectively, j ournalled in portions 17 and .20 respectively, and switch 12 is fastened to A lever'31 is also fastened to spindle 29.

A motor, comprising coils 32 and 33 and an armature 34 therebetween, is mounted on portion 18, the whole comprising what is known as an induction motor such as is well known-for use in phonogra hs and the like and inasmuch as the speci c details of the motor form no part of my invention, no further description is deemed necessary because I can use any well known form of motor. Armature 34 is mounted on a shaft 35 to which is fastened a worm gear 36 meshed with a gear 37. 'A pin 38, mounted eccentricall on gear 37, serves to connect with a toot of a second gear 39 and a pin 40, mounted eccentrically on gear 39, serves to connect with a tooth of a third gear 41, the whole forming a gear train of any suitable. reduction for turning gear 41 one revolution in a lpredetermined period of time; gears 37 an 39 being revolvably mounted on ortion 18.

he ends of a spring 39a, fastened centrally to portion 18, serve to maintain gears 39 and 41 in the relatively proper position to each other.

Gear 41 is revolvably mounted on a spindle 42 to which is pinned a block 43 having a circular portion 45 and an adjustable trip screw 46 thereon, a switch lever 48 made of non-conducting material, and an eccentrically mounted trip lever 47; lever 47 being so mounted as to lock with part 45 when moved by lever 31 in one direction and to swing free for the passage of lever 31 thereunder when moved in the opposite directron.

A pin 44 is eccentrically mounted on gear 41 for coacting once each revolution of gear 41 with switch lever 48. Lead 13 is fastened to a strip 50 forming one side of a switch mounted on an insulating block 49, and lead wire 14 is fastened to a bindin so 514;, mounted on and suitably insulated rem pormotor 16 are in series with the circuit wires" 13, 14, and in parallel with each other.

A look lever 52 having a lock tooth 53 is i pivoted on portion 20, tooth 53 being held against the periphery of portion 23 to engage teeth 55, 56, and 57 at various times and being held in engagement therewith by a spring 54. One end of lock lever 52 is cam shaped and is adapted to coact with trip screw 46 at proper times. Another'detent lever 58 is pivoted on portion 20 to'rest in annular groove 24 for thecontrol of coins passing through slot 11 and has aflixed thereto a point 59 and a point 60, bein held in groove 24 by a spring 61 fastene to portion 20.

The operation is as follows Assuming that switch lever 48 is between and has separated spring strips 50 and 51, and lever 31 is in the position shown in Fig. 3 as well as'lever 47, pin 44 being a predetermined distance to the left of switch lever 48 and in contact therewith, a coin of correct size and value will be dropped into slot 11 (which is also of predetermined size) and said coin will fall into annular groove 24 between portions 22 and 23 and thence into a passage 63 until coin 62 rests with its upper edge substantially in line with the upper edges of portions 22 and. 23, passage 63 being: slightly tapered down to this e d. v

Switch 12 may now be turned to the right and coin 62 will also be moved to theright, its edge lifting point 60 until oint 53 on lever 52 engages the firstnotc 55. This action prevents an I ment 0 coin whee 21, prevents the entry of further coins into passage 63 and pre vents the withdrawal of coin 62 from. passage 63 because of the detent point 59,

switch 12 being only movable to the right, orclockwise, until the cycle is completed.

At the same time lever 31 will have engaged trip lever 47 slightly against the resistance of spring 30. I

T e continued movement of switch 12 clockwise forces coin 62 round against stop pin 27, coin 62 raising lever 58 and then eing ejected from passa e 63 into a suitable receptacle, or into the point 53 then engaging the second notch 56 and point 60 falling 1nto groove 24. This action prevents further present backward present return move-' ottom of box 10,.

movement of switch 12 and also causes lever 31 to take up all lost motion between the which will then fall to the left of lever 31 while point 53 will engage the third notch 57. Also stop in 27 will be up against one end of para lel slots 26.

Switch 12 thus cannot be moved anticlockwise until a predetermined period of time has elapsed, cannot be moved clockwise on account of the stop pin 27 and no coins can be introduced or withdrawn on account of the position of wheel 21. The closing of strips .50 and 51 closes the circuit with the subsequent. energizing of coils 32 and 33 and the motor 16. Armature 34 starts to revolve thus putting in motion the timing mechanismas a whole, while motor 16 starts to perform useful work, such as driving a washing machine or the like. The train of gears, including gears 37, 39 and 41, being thus put in motion will continue to turn until one complete revolution of gear 41 has been caused, during which pin 44 will have carried around part 43 together with switch lever 48 to a certain point where trip screw 46 will start to engage and move on the cam shaped portion of the end of lever 52. This initial contact of screw 46 with lever 52 may be determined by the adjustment of screw 46 for the release of point 53 from I notch 57, whereby switch 12 will snap back to its initial position thus giving a warning a predetermined time before the actual separation of strips 50 and 51 and the stopping of the timing mechanism and motor 16.

After-switch 12 has snapped back into its initial position, the train of gears will continue to revolve until pin 44 shall have forced switch lever 48 between strips 50 and 51 thus breaking the circuit and stopping the timing mechanism and motor 16. Ir- 1 reversible action is provided by the worm gear 36 meshed with gear 37.

If it is desired to stop the mechanism and motor 16 at any time intermediate the final period, a switch 64 .is placed in the circuit as shown in Fig- 7, and the throwing of this switch open, will stop both motor 16 and. armature 34 until it is de'sired'to resume op eratlons. It will thus be seen that until a certaintime has elapsed the apparatus will operate continuously, or intermittently, as desired with the prepayment of one coin and that a single switch controls such operations.

Coins must be of the exact size and value to pass through slots 11 and 63 andset the apparatus in motion. Coins smaller than the required ones will pass straight through passage 63 while coins larger than required cannot be inserted in slot 11. Once a coin is held in passage 63 by the action of switch 12 and point 59, it cannot bewithdrawn until the full turning movement of switch 12 is completed. The timing control described is a distant control, that is it may be placed on the apparatus driven by motor 16, but is preferably placed at a distance from such apparatus. In any event it is to be particularly pointed out that the mechanism contained in box 10 is in no way dependent on the movement of motor 16, or apparatus driven thereby, for actuation. Broadly speaking the timing control mechanism is adapted to make and break an electric circuit in a given time period and as such it is adaptable for any time prepayment service such as light, telephone and like circuits. More specifically I have adapted the same for use with washing machines, the coin prepayment mechanism forming a key unlocking system for simlplicity of operation. It is obvious that a ey and register system with locks could replace the coin prepayment feature in such places where coin prepayment is not practical or desired, but for general use I find that coin prepayment is the most suitable form of operation.

I claim '1. In a time controlled switch mechanism, the combination of: contact oints for closing a circuit, a support, a w eel pivoted on sald support, a switch lever pivotally mounted on the sup ort and normally holding the contact polnts apart to break the circuit, means for forcing the switch lever in one direction to permit the contact points to close while the wheel is stationary, means adapted to contact with and rotate the switch lever upon motion of the wheel, and motor means operative on closing the circuit to move the wheel and cause said switch lever to separate said contact points.

2. In a time controlled switch mechanism, the combination of: contact points having spring pressed connection for closing a circuit, a support, a wheel pivoted on said support, a. switch lever pivotally mounted on the support and normally holding the contact points apart to break the circuit, means mounted on the wheel for forcing the switch lever in one direction to permit the contact points to close while the wheel is stationary, means adapted to contact with and rotate the switch lever upon motion of the wheel, and motor means operative on closing the circuit to move the wheel and cause said switch lever to separate said contact points.

3. In a time controlled switch mechanism, the combination of: contact points for closing a circuit, a support, a wheel pivoted on said support, a switch lever pivotally mounted on the support and normally holding the contact points apart to break the circuit, a trip lever on said support eccentrically mounted relative to the wheel for forcing the switch lever in one direction to permit the contact points to close while the wheel is stationary, a pin fastened to the wheel and adapted to contact with the switch lever upon motion of the wheel, and motor means in the circuit operative on closing the circuit to move the wheel and cause said switch lever to separate said contact points.

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, and State of California, this 26th day of August, A. D. 1927.

ARTHUR W. WELCOME. 

